Cigarette dispenser



Dec. l, 1942..

W. C. PANZER CIGARETTE `DISPENSER .Filed oct. 1s, 1940 Patented Dec. 1, 1942 CIGARETTE DISPENSER William c'. Panzer, chicago, n1., assignor to Russakov Can Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 18, 1940, Serial` No. 361,674

(Cl. S12-83) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarette dispensers more particularly of the so-called pop-up type, in which a cylindrical series of tubes hold the cigarettes vertically and spring-pressed from below to be ejected through an opening in a rotatable cover when the opening is brought into register with the cigarette.

Among other objects, the present invention aims to provide an improved device of this class capable of being produced inexpensively largely from sheet metal and which will yet be sturdy in construction and attractive in appearance.

Other c-bjects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a top view of a dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts being broken away for purposes of description;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, taken on the staggered line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a view on the scale of Fig. l of a separable cover shown in other figures of the drawing.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction here shown, the cylindrical container I0, advantageously made of sheet metal, has a base II and top I2 of similar material. The top I2 is grilled in the sense that it has circumferentially disposed lholes I3 therein, in this instance, arranged in two concentric annuli. Each hole has a slightly turned down edge I4 which telescopes into a tube I5 adapted to rest on the bottom I6 of the container, the holes I3 thus fixing the positions for the tubes I5 vertically of the container and arranged in a pair of concentric circles similar to the holes.

At the bottom of each tube I5 is a light compression coil spring I1, which urges the cigarette I8, received in the tube, upwardly of the container except when restrained by the rotatable cover I9, the cover having an off-center aperture 29- therein, which, when brought rotatively into register with one of the holes I3, permits the cigarette to pop up as shown in Fig. 2, so that it may be readily grasped to be removed from the container. I'his aperture 20 as best shown in Fig. l is elongated radially somewhat in the form of an oval so that its ends register alternately with holes in the concentric circles in which the cigarettes are arranged. The margins of the aperture 2B may be slightly curled up as at 29a to form somewhat of ahead edge.

In accordance with the present invention, the

Cil

cover I9 is also advantageously of sheet metal and has a cylindrical fiange 2I which slidingly overlaps the edge of the top I2 and upper margin of the container body I0, the cover being desirably of slightly heavier sheet metal than the metal of the container. l

Centrally, the cover I9 is here sho-wn embossed as at 22, and the embossment 22 is centrally perforated as at 23 to receive loosely `therein a clamping stud 24 which has at its upper end, exteriorly of the cover I9, a thumb-nut 25 xed thereon, as in this instance, by having a forced t screw-threaded engagement as at 26. The thumb-nut 25 is preferably iiuted as at 25a both to enhance gripping friction and to improve its appearance.

At its lower end, the clamping stud 24 is screwthreaded as at 21 to be threadedly received in a socket 28 of socket piece 29 xed centrally of the top I2. As best shown in Fig. 2, this socket piece may be a cylindrical bushing-like member welded to the inner face of the top I2 within the annuli already referred to, the top I2 being centrally cut away, as shown.

Fixed on the clamping stud 24, between the top I9 and the screw-threads 2l, is a collar 30 providing an abutment engageable with the socket piece 29 to limit interengagement of the clamping stud and the socket, whereby the cover may rotate freely on the container top when the clamping stud is tightly screwed inwardly by means of the thumb-nut 25, while at the same time the clamping friction between the collar 30 and the socket piece 29 prevents accidental unscrewing. The embossment 22 provides a recess on the inner face of the cover I9 to receive the collar 30 when the top is removed, and so that when the top is replaced the cover may be centered by first engaging the iiange 2I with the edge of the container, the stud 24 at this time moving freely upwardly in the perforation 23 and as limited by the contact of the collar 30 with the inner face of the embossment. When the cover is thus positioned, the stud may be moved freely in the aperture 23 until the threads 2l are engaged in the socket 28, the stud thus having useful free axial movement in addition to its rotative movement for screw co-action.

Thus, the user of the container may readily remove the cover I9 by rotating the thumb-nut 25 counterclockwise to unscrew the stud 24 from its socket. Thereupon, the container may be filled with cigarettes one in each tube I5, to the number of, say, twenty, the usual quantity sold in the cheapest form of package, and the cover I9 thereupon readily replaced in position to hold the cigarettes down against the resilience of the springs I1. When the cover I9 is in place the cigarettes except when in register with the aperture 20 are resiliently depressed so that their upper terminations are just flush with the upper surface of the top I2, and consequently the cigarettes will not catch undler the lower end of the turned down edge I4 of the hole I3. The socket piece 29 is desirably counterbored as at 29a where also the top I2 is centrally out away, this arrangement facilitating entry of the stud into 4are removed and replaced with the cover I9 as a unit, the clamping stud being inseparable therefrom so as to guard against loss and annoyance and facilitate ready removal or replacement of the cover.

It will be understood that Y is first filled with cigarettes the entire twenty cigarettes may be held in the container by placing the cover aperture 20 out of register with any ofthe tubes I5, that is, for example, in half- Vregister with one tube and Vin half-register with an adjoining tube, thus restraining the cigarettes in both of these adjacent tubes. So constructed and arranged, the device constitutes a magazine 'as it were, in which a substantial number of cigarettes are kept without handling or substantial jarring, to be ejected one by one as desired, while at the same time the cover is an operatively integral part of the device secured thereto so that even if turned upside down the cover will not fall off and the cigarettes be lost.

The combination may be economically produced and is of enhanced efficiency.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. In a cigarette dispenser of the ejector type, the? combination with a container, of a grilled `cylindrical -top therefor having openings permitting'thevpassage of cigarettes individually from when the containerv CTI the container through said grilled top, individual compression springs in the lower part of the container for the cigarettes urging them through said openings, a central socket piece fixed on said top, said socket piece having a screw-threaded socket centrally therein, a rotatable cover for the top having an off-center aperture for the passage of cigarettes therethrough as the cover is rotated to register selectively with the openings in the grilled top, a central embossment on the cover, a central perforation in the embossment, a clamping stud loose in said perforation the socket. The cover I9 and clamping stud 24 and screw-threaded to be received in said socket, a thumb-nut on the exterior of the stud, a collar fixed on said stud between said screw-threads and `said embossment limiting interengagement of the stud and socket whereby the cover may be f Asecurely attached tothe container while permitting rotation thereof, and a cylindrical flange on said cover slidingly lapping the edge of said top. v

2. In a cigarette dispenser of the ejector type embodying a container having a grilled cylindrical top permitting the passage of cigarettes therethrough and springs in the container urging the cigarettes upwardly, that improvement therein comprising a central socket piece fixed on said top, said socket piece having a screw-threaded central socket therein, a rotatable cover for the -top having an olf-center aperture for the passage of cigarettes therethrough as the cover is rotated to register With openings in the grilled top, a central perforation in the cover, `a clamping stud loose in said perforation and screw-threaded to be received in said socket, athumb-nut on the exterior of said stud, Iand means limiting'interengagement of the stud and socket'whereby the cover may be securely attached to the container while permitting rotation thereof and the' said cover and stud are removable as a unit.

WILLIAM C. PANZER.. 1 

